Description: (Adapted from the application) The Immunology Flow Cytometry Core of this Center offers established and new diabetes investigator services, consultative advice, and in-depth instruction on a variety of basic as well as advanced methods in flow cytometry to facilitate their ability to perform diabetes research. The application of flow cytometry methodology to diabetes research has revolutionized the study of insulin dependent and insulin independent research. Methodologies, such as cell sorting, are expensive and time consuming as well as requiring months if not years for proficiency. Flow cytometer analysis represents sophisticated techniques that have traditionally been difficult to rapidly apply correctly to novel research. Despite the large and diverse research community at the MGH, Harvard Medical School, and Boston University, acquisition of new technologies is often slow as diabetes projects logically transverse through different phases of development. It has often been difficult as well as financially impossible for a diabetes project to logically extend across various scientific disciplines. The establishment of this Immunology Flow Cytometry Core will allow established and new diabetes researchers at the MGH to rapidly apply immunologic approaches to their projects with speed and cost efficiency. This Core will also prevent duplicate instrumentation and allow new tools to be applied to Diabetes research. The investigators that use this Center are technologically diverse with the common interest of pursuing diabetes research. We expect Center investigators to not only benefit from services and rapid technology access, but to facilitate interactions and collaborations. This Immunology Flow Cytometry Core should add a new and positive dimension to all forms of diabetes research by providing technologic expertise and most importantly teaching.